


New Titans: The Times, They Are A Changin'

by DCPrime



Category: DCU (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), Teen Titans (Comics), Titans (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-21
Updated: 2014-12-26
Packaged: 2018-01-26 01:32:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1669802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DCPrime/pseuds/DCPrime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part of the DC PRIME Universe: After nine years of being separated, The Titans are forced to reunite after events that happened ten years in the past. The Titans fight a war across past, present and future all leading to the end, Titans Tower where they stand united once more, but can it last?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

** The New Titans Issue One: The Times are a Changin': Part One **

* * *

 

**Gotham Bridge, Night**

Batman stands at the edge of a rooftop, looking down on Gotham's Bridge where a riot takes place, the golden fire illuminates him even from a distance. On the bridge, over two hundred men ravage everything in sight, setting cars alight and destroying the ground below them. Among the group of gang members and rioters is Killer Croc, towering over the crowd, causing the most damage.

Batman Narration:  
The record for fighting a group of two hundred men is sixteen minutes. Sixteen minutes of swift and precise movements, all fitting in together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Batman looks at his utility belt, his escrima sticks look back at him.

Batman Narration:  
Using the escrima sticks makes it easier. It takes away the impact of your fist breaking another man's bones. Ever since I put on the cowl, I haven't touched them. I put them in my belt every day, hardly noticing them.

Batman spreads out his cape, drops and glides down towards the bridge.

Batman Narration:  
The escrima sticks charge an electrical pulse, causing an initial sting but then the after effects are made painless.

Batman lands onto the bridge, breaking the concrete below him. The men are startled for a second but then circle Batman, Killer Croc leading.

Batman Narration:  
Today isn't the day to be merciful, today isn't the day to take the pain away. But then again, tonight's the night.

Police and News helicopters shine their spotlights on the scene below them, Killer Croc looks up and hisses.

Killer Croc: I'm going to tear through your flesh on the evening news!

Batman Narration:  
Tonight's the night all hell breaks loose.

Killer Croc charges at Batman, who leaps over Croc and kicks his back. The rest of the riot charge at Batman, roaring in their own way. Batman strikes a battle pose, gritting his teeth. Breaking a few teeth, Batman kicks a man in the face while throwing a few batarangs at the men that surround him, he then back-flips and lands on Killer Croc. Trying to throw him off, Killer Croc grabs Batman and throws him into the rabid crowd of insane men, they converge and pile onto the Batman.

Batman Narration:  
Tonight's the night I lose.

As the men leap onto him, not doing much damage, Batman opens a control panel in his gauntlet, causing a large electric blast. A bright blue light explodes in Batman's gauntlets, the fabric on his batsuit burns away, leaving dark grey underarmour. A large group of the men become startled, giving Batman the chance to leap into the crowd, taking down the thugs.

Batman Narration:  
I could call for backup.

Batman spits blood, throwing smoke bombs and taking down a few men in the shadows.

Batman Narration:  
No, I NEED this.  
Batman leaps onto Killer Croc, pulling out a flashbang from his utility belt and crushing it against Killer Croc's ear. The flashbang explodes, causing a deafening sound and a blinding light.

Batman Narration:  
I NEED to be hardened.

Batman grabs Croc's face, pulling it down and hitting it against his knee, rendering Croc unconscious.

Batman Narration:  
I NEED to be strong.

He stands, solitary as the smoke clears, staring at the pile of men below him.

Batman Narration:  
I NEED to be Batman  
A thug runs at Batman, who swiftly turns and throws a batarang at the thug's face, knocking him over.

Batman Narration:  
Seven minutes... New record.

* * *

 

**A few miles above Asia, dawn**

Cyborg Narration:  
My men tell me that when they're going to the battlefield... it's only just then they realise the chance of dying. The chance that one bullet could slip through the Kevlar on their chest and kill them, almost instantly. I don't feel that. I know that I'm not going to die. I know that there's not a chance of a bullet, not even an exploding round hitting me and killing me.

Cyborg leaps into the bronze sky, holding an amazingly large plasma rifle. An enemy jet plane flies in front of him, shooting him with countless rounds of machine-gun bullets. Cyborg collides with the plane, grasping onto it. He looks at the pilot, who pulls out a small pistol and starts shooting him through the cockpit.

Cyborg Narration:  
Today I feel that. That sudden sense of one hit and it's all over. I'll tell ya, it's scary.

Cyborg: Land this plane, now!

The pilot shouts a foreign language.

Cyborg Narration:  
Not because of what's happening right now, though. Not because I'm clinging onto a plane with a nuke on it. No. Something much worse.

Cyborg tries to climb onto the top of the plane, but is thrown under. He quickly grabs the underside of the plane and punches roughly where the cockpit would be. Cyborg reaches up, trying to keep his balance. He grabs the pilot's leg and pulls, breaking through the cockpit and pulling the pilot out. Through the hole that the pilot left, Cyborg climbs up and manoeuvres through the jet plane, looking for the nuclear bomb.

Cyborg Narration:  
Nine seconds.

Cyborg looks to the tail end of the plane, notices the bomb, grabs it and runs and breaks through the end of the jet plane. He falls into the side of a cliff, tumbling down into the canopy of a tree. Cyborg looks to his side, the bomb is safe next to him. He then hears a phone beep, he opens a compartment in his leg and pulls out his phone, he opens it and it reads, "Dick Grayson: Tonight's the night".

Cyborg: Dispatch, I'm going to need a chopper.

* * *

 

**The Watchtower, Meeting Room**

A few costumed heroes walk out through the door but two people stay. The two people are Donna Troy and Barbara Gordon, Oracle. A giant window is behind them, looking down on Earth. A few people are seen walking out of the door, the door closes behind them.

Barbara: It's been two years since our last session, Donna. I don't really understand why you're here

Donna: Nothing, nothing happened. I just feel helpless, like something's coming and I can't stop it. The nightmares, the constant...

Barbara: Nightmares? The car...?

Donna: It had nothing to do with Robert.

Barbara: Then what happened?

Donna stays silent.

Barbara: Do you have any idea what it means?

Donna: It means tonight's the night.

Barbara: Do you mean...?

Donna: It's today.

Barbara: I can come with you, I can talk to Dick... Just let me help you.

Donna stays silent.

Barbara: Something is coming to Titans Tower and it's gonna bring HELL to the world, you can't face that on your own.

Donna turns to Barbara.

Donna: That's what the Titans are for.

* * *

 

**Raven's Apartment, Morning**

Raven lies in bed, she twists and turns. Nightmares stalk her, she seems terrified. Her desk floats and so does her bed. Her window cracks and wakes her up in shock. Panting, she looks to the window. Raven looks to the desk beside her bed, it drops. She hears her cat meow and her phone beep. Raven picks up her phone, she looks at it, a text reads "Dick Grayson: Tonight's the night".

Raven's face swiftly becomes emotionless and pale as her window shatters. The desk shoots out of the wall into the street, she hears a crash from the ground. The apartment turns inside out as the walls close in, her bed breaks apart and the floors shatter. She looks to her wardrobe, the doors open and a dark smoke-like entity consumes her, dressing her in her a black, smoke filled hooded cloak.

* * *

 

**City Street, Morning**

Raven descends from her apartment, tearing the building down brick by brick. As Raven lands gracefully, the ground below her caves in and she begins to walk through the street, creating a path of destruction behind her. A tear drops from her eye and as it lands, everything is restored. As rocks, bricks and pieces of wood rise up before her, she stares at the sun.

Raven Narration:  
Last chance to see the morning sun.

Raven rises and flies quickly but gracefully towards the sun, the wind blowing her long cloak.

* * *

 

**Tamaranian Space Station, Sector 2814**

Starfire, in a white space cadet uniform, leaps away from a giant cthulu-like monster. Futuristic technology folds in on itself, being crushed by the monster. Starfire runs up the walls, the space station being turned upside-down by the weight of the monster, sparks flying from behind her. One of the tentacles reaches to grab her but Starfire leaps and turns, shooting an energy blast at the tentacle.

The tentacle retracts, but the giant multi-eyed face shoots towards Starfire, biting her leg. Starfire fires a few energy blasts but they prove ineffective, she then tries to kick the monster away. Sparks still flying in her face, Starfire notices a loose cable and shoves it in one of the eyes of the monster, startling it for a quick second. Starfire's phone beeps in her pocket.

Starfire: I'm slaying a Thanagarian Snare Beast and someone wants to chat!?

Starfire shoots multiple energy blasts, each startling the Snare Beast for a moment. Her phone keeps beeping. The Snare Beast hits Starfire against a wall, the wall collapsing as she hits it. A long rope with a handle at the end of it drops before her, Starfire notices the writing on the handle, 'Airlock'. Starfire pulls on the handle and the airlock, quite beaten up, opens, dragging the Snare Beast out into deep space. She holds onto the handle, the air trying to pull her into space. Starfire pulls out her phone, a text reads "Dick Grayson: Tonight's the night".

Starfire: Today?

Releasing her hand from the handle, Starfire is pulled out of the space station.

Starfire: Gravity shields.

A Starfire sized forcefield appears around her and she starts crash landing towards Earth. The Snare Beast floats below her, while falling, she grabs it and uses it as a shield. The Snare Beast and Starfire both plummet towards Earth as the Snare Beast starts burning up in Earth's atmosphere.

* * *

 

**A few miles outside of Titans Tower, night**

Beast Boy rides on his Harley Davidson past forest-like terrain towards Titans Tower.

Beast Boy Narration:  
Nine years and still lit up. I owe Vic five dollars.  
He wears his classic white and red costume with a biker jacket over it.

Beast Boy Narration:  
Can't frickin' wait. Nine years, nine years without the Titans. Didn't think they'd survive without me. Vic, Kory, Raven, Dick, Donna... The Beast-Rider.

Beast Boy slaps the side of the seat.

Beast Boy Narration:  
Hell yeah, The Beast-Rider!

* * *

 

**Titans Tower, night**

Beast Boy stands before the gigantic beacon of light that is Titans Tower. It tower over him, giving Beast Boy a look of amazement and childhood wonder. The Tower lets out a blinding light, still working after all these years. Beast Boy looks up, a comet is flying towards the Tower, he looks to the left, and Raven descends. A helicopter hovers above him, he can barely see Cyborg inside.  
Beast Boy: Well, well... the saints are coming.

* * *

 

**Ten Years Earlier, somewhere...**

Beast Boy and Cyborg sit together, with a pen and paper. Cyborg looks less armoured, less powerful. More humanity is shown, his face full of emotion, a full head of hair. Both around fifteen, Beast Boy being the younger of the two. Beast Boy wears his costume, red and white, a bowl-haircut, the same as in the future. Across from them are the rest of the Titans, stoic and worn. Dick Grayson, Nightwing. Wearing blue, yellow and a darker blue, the colours shoot out and are a marvel to the eyes.

Dark but full of personality. Raven, her cloak draped over wears dark blue, her hood shadowing her face. Donna Troy, Wonder Girl stands straight, battle worn in a bright red costume, holding a traditional Greek sword. Finally, Starfire in a bright purple Tamaranian royal suit, her hair big and a smile always on her face, even just a slight smirk. They all stay in a large empty New York City, where cars are driven by themselves. The New York breeze of business is absent, leaving a hollow shell of a city, with only the Titans to populate it. In the distance lies an abnormal T-shaped building, bright light jumps out of it as it stands on the edge of a hill, staring out into the rest of the city.

Cyborg: Not a shared dream state. It's a...

Beast Boy: A f*cking pocket dimension!

Cyborg: Pottymouth.

Nightwing's eyes widen, but then return to their normal state.

Nightwing Narration:  
No idea how long we've been here. We haven't aged a day. We haven't got any perception of time. Just a battlefield full of weird stuff.

Raven: How did you come to this conclusion?

Beast Boy: Geez, lighten up. Take a sec to celebrate, we're getting out of here.

Cyborg: Not definitely. But we can at least TRY to get out of here.

Donna Troy: So how do we do that?

Cyborg: The watchtower.

Nightwing: Of course!

Cyborg: The watchtower has the farthest reach in any universe. We need to get to the nucleus.

Starfire: Like a cell? I'm sorry, Victor, but I do not think getting to the nucleus of a cell is going to help us.

Nightwing: No, Kory. Every pocket dimension has a centre, a nucleus. It's there so the creators have a way to make contact with the outside.

Raven: But the nucleus needs to have relevance to the occupiers, something in common if you will.

Beast Boy Narration:  
We don't know where we are, we don't know how long we've been here. We don't know anything. I know one thing, I've got the Titans.

WHERE are the past Titans and WHAT the events that led them there? Also, WHAT'S coming to Titans Tower and HOW can the Titans stop it? Keep reading The New Titans to find out.

**To be continued...**


	2. The New Titans Issue Two: The Times are a Changin': Part Two

**HIVE Base, Main floor**

A woman stands in the main floor of the HIVE base as soldiers, demons, monsters and business men scurry past her. A desk lies in front of her, a microphone on it, behind it sits a man who seems flustered by his amount of work, not paying attention. The woman walks towards the desk, picks up the microphone and holds it to her mouth. Her face breaks, a fake sadness.

Woman: Everyone please, leave the premises. Go home to your families! HOLD THEM CLO...

HIVE Soldiers grab her arms and take her away, kicking and screaming. The mass amount of demons, monsters, aliens and HIVE workers stop to stare at the woman, trying to tear herself away. While being pulled away, the woman slaps the wall, leaving a small device attached.

HIVE Base, holding room

The woman is thrown down into the dark room, where bars stand tall before her. The woman pulls out a communicator from her pocket and holds it to her lip.

Woman: Okay, you're good to go.

* * *

  **HIVE Base, Main Floor**

A HIVE soldier stares at the device on the wall, a red light rapidly blinks. He tries to pry it off, but it won't be removed. He grabs it until it violently explodes, letting out a sudden golden cloud of fire and ash.

HIVE Base, holding room

The woman stands tall, behind the bars as the gigantic monster of fire follows towards her, but then is stopped by an invisible forcefield before the bars.

Teleportation tunnel

All of the Titans stand together, tall, stoic. Batman, his caped draped over him, his eyes peering out. Cyborg, tall, sporting heavy armour, hiding every centimetre of flesh but for the large patch on his face. Raven floats, her cape levitating, moving as if it was a living creature. Starfire, wearing a white space-cadet uniform, green energy floating around her hands and eyes. Donna Troy, stands tall, the stars on her costume dying and moving as the universe expands, her bracelets shining brightly, reflecting the white rotation of the teleportation tunnel. Beast Boy crouches over, wearing his classic costume with child like wonder on his face.

Beast Boy: Are you gonna say it?

Batman stays silent.

Beast Boy: C'mon, say it, for old times sake.

Batman still stays silent.

Beast Boy: Why you guys all gotta be so joyless? Seriously, how many people died in nine years?

Donna silently screams at Beast Boy, her face full of anger.

Batman looks to Donna, in a way calling her off.

Beast Boy: Alright, I'll say it.

Batman: No.

Beast Boy: THERE'S our brooding crusader.

Batman: I'm not saying it.

Beast Boy: C'mon, say it.

Batman: I'm not saying it.

Beast Boy: Say it, say it, say it.

The teleportation tunnel starts depleting and opening up, revealing the HIVE main room, ravaged by the explosion.

Batman: TITANS, GO!

* * *

  **HIVE Base, Main room**

The Titans leap out of the teleportation tunnel, only Beast Boy striking a battle pose. Some HIVE Soldiers stop attending to their wounds to pull their guns up and fire away at the Titans. Cyborg pulls up a holo-shield, and it surrounds the Titans, deflecting a mass amount of bullets.

The HIVE Room is populated by a large amount of HIVE Soldiers, all aiming their large futuristic guns at the Titans. The holo-shield finally gives and instantly the Titans are thrust into battle as Donna Troy drop kicks a few soldiers, blowing them back like a strong wind. Beast Boy lifts into the air as an eagle, he then plummets as an elephant, causing a shockwave that sweeps the HIVE soldiers off their feet and launching Batman into the air to punch a few soldiers while landing.

Raven starts levitating every object she can find, using her powers to their near extent, she then launches them at the soldiers, making them take a leap back, to be squashed by the impact of the swarm of objects and the back wall. Starfire fires at Donna's bracelets, causing a ricochet effect that has energy blasts being bounced around the room, hitting a mass amount of HIVE Soldiers.

Cyborg lifts his arms and hundreds of hatches open in his body, revealing small missiles which fire out of his body and stun the soldiers. The whole team finally stop, Beast Boy tries to strike a group battle pose but the rest silently decline.

Cyborg: I say we split up, some of us head to the board room and the rest establish a...

Batman: No, we go together.

Cyborg: I need to rendezvous with my agent.

Batman: HIVE Emergency release would have activated by now, she's probably gone.

Starfire: So, to the board room... any guards?

Ten Years Earlier, somewhere

Beast Boy looks up to the sky, lying down. To his right a wonderful rainforest, filled with emerald green and earthly creatures. To his left a volcanic hell of a place where dinosaurs roam.

Beast Boy Narration:  
Y'know, I hate the sky here.

The sky above him is a peculiar patchwork of different things. In one section it's filled with smoke and in another a clear blue sky. In one of the sections the sky is pink and three rainbows run across it.

Beast Boy Narration:  
Is it heaven? Hell? Or My Little Pony land? We'll never know. I just want one consistent sky, a sky I can look up to and say, "Oh, that's what the sky looks like!" Sometimes you just see some weird... weirdness. Once I saw a harpy fighting a unicorn and I thought "The shark still looks fake". Why? Because I'm used to this by now.

The funny thing is it feels so... familiar. It feels like I've been here before. Oh, if you didn't know, I'm stuck in a pocket dimension that has no perception of time, on a patchwork world full of things that don't mix. It sounds like Starfire's cooking. Y'know, one day I'll look to my left and see, I dunno, Super Mario World and I'll look to my right and see... Los Angeles populated by Legend of Zelda characters.

I haven't seen either of those two, it'd be fricking awesome if I did, but you get the point. Now, we gotta find a nucleus to get out, Cyborg figured it out. It's supposed to have some kinda sentimental... whatever... to all of us.

Cyborg stands over Beast Boy, looking significantly younger and less armoured.

Cyborg: Wakey, wakey Gar. C'mon, we're gettin' outta here.

Beast Boy: You said that... a... whatever ago.

Cyborg: But we're getting out today, man.

Beast Boy: You said that too, bro.

Cyborg: Just get up.

Cyborg pulls Beast Boy to his feet, Beast Boy looks at Cyborg's armoured parts.

Beast Boy: Well... you DO need a good polish.

Cyborg: Very funny. C'mon the guy and girls are waitin' for you.

Beast Boy and Cyborg walk up to Nightwing, Wonder Girl, Starfire and Raven who all stand, chatting. They stand between two worlds, a mountainous landscape where snow constantly falls. The other world is a large desert-like area where a mammoth's corpse is picked at by a sloth.

Beast Boy: Any developments? Wait... don't tell me... NO.

Nightwing: Actually, yes.

Beast Boy: You always say that.

Nightwing: But it's true this time.

Beast Boy: So you admit you were lying the other times?

Nightwing: Shut up.

Beast Boy: No, I'd like to hear you answer that question.

Nightwing: Do you want to hear our idea?

Cyborg: Let him say it.

Nightwing: We've been doing some thinking, about the  
nucleus. So, we're all in here right? What do we all have in common?

Beast Boy: Cut to the chase, red ranger.

Nightwing: Fine. If it's supposed to have emotional and sentimental relevance to us, the nucleus has to be...?

Beast Boy: What?

Nightwing: It's Titans Tower.

Beast Boy: What's Titans Tower?

Cyborg: It has that effect on you, if you're there for long enough it tires to make you forget about the sentimental whatever...

Raven: It's pointless being happy about this.

Wonder Girl: Be positive, Raven.

Starfire: Negativity will not help us get through this.  
Raven: We have some idea of what it is but we do not know where it is.  
Beast Boy: Oh, now I know what Titans Tower is! Can't remember where it is!

Nightwing: I thought you were supposed to be our shining example of happiness.

Beast Boy: I stopped since we landed on Frankenstein Land.

Nightwing: You've been your happiest since we landed on Frankenstein Land and NOW you're losing hope?

Beast Boy Narration:  
I wish I could tell them I don't want to go.

Beast Boy: No... maybe. I don't know.

Beast Boy Narration:  
The fight around every corner, the different adventure every time... Feels like heaven to me. Best thing is, we HAVE to stick together. I mean, yeah, I do want to see the outside world again, I want to... eat pizza again but I sorta like it here too.

* * *

  **A Hut...**

The Titans sleep, lying down in an empty hut in the middle of a desert world. The bright sun still shines and never goes down. Beast Boy lies face-up staring at the ceiling.

Beast Boy Narration:  
Couldn't find a world where the sun had set. Not this time.

Beast Boy yawns, where he finally rolls over and goes to sleep.

Beast Boy's Mind

Beast Boy wakes up, he sits in an interrogation room, his hands cuffed. He looks to his side, the rest of the Titans peer through a window and a shadowed figure walks towards the door. The door clicks and opens to reveal... TERRA MARKOV.

Beast Boy: No, no, no, NO!

Terra: Scared of me, babe?

Beast Boy looks to the titans disgusted.

Beast Boy: She's lying, she'll only betray...!

Terra: Didn't you miss me, sugar?

Beast Boy: No, not after what you did. No. Not now, not ever.

Terra: Fine. I guess you'll just stay cuffed.

Beast Boy: How... how are you here?

Terra: What do you fear most?

Beast Boy: ANSWER ME!

Terra: What do you fear most? I'm just gonna keep askin'.

Beast Boy: Deathstroke.

Terra: You're such a bad liar, sweetie.

Beast Boy: ...and you've got a degree in it.

Terra: Come on...

Beast Boy: Why the hell are you asking me this!?

Terra: Let me help you out. You live in a world with no perception of time, a world where you're forced to stay with your friends. What's not to love?

Beast Boy: I don't know what you're talking about.

Terra: Donna's getting married. Dick's becoming his own man. Wally's gone. Vic's got a one-way ticket to the Justice League. They're all moving on and you... you're still just a little kid not progressing, not moving, not aging. You're on your way to being alone. Now, what do you fear?

Beast Boy: Losing them.

Terra: What happened to me, Gar?

Beast Boy: I lost you.

Terra: You can't let them go, can you?

Beast Boy: No.

Terra: Don't. Stay here, in the pocket dimension. I'll stay with you.

Beast Boy: Okay...

Terra: I need you to keep a secret for me. Please?

Beast Boy: What?

Terra: You can't tell any of the titans, all right.

Beast Boy: What?

Terra: We both know where Titans Tower is.

Present Day, HIVE Base

Beast Boy and Cyborg stand together amongst the ruins of the battle they had just fought.

Beast Boy: So, you're super American military guy.

Cyborg: You could put it that way.

Beast Boy: ...and you're taller.

Cyborg: State of the art exoskeleton, almost unbreakable armor plating.

Batman: Comes with a price.

Cyborg: Excuse me?

Batman: You know what I'm talking about, Stone. You SOLD yourself to the government. State of the art yes, to be used against anybody within ARGUS or Checkmate? No.

Cyborg: To be used for the defence of the country.

Batman: Whatever you say, poster boy. I hear you've been working with Task Force X recently?

Cyborg: Shut up.

Batman: Cyberion.

Cyborg grabs him, realises the situation and then pulls back.

Cyborg: What the hell happened to you, man?

Batman stays silent. Beast Boy notices the anger on Cyborg's face and tries to intervene.

Beast Boy: So you're Robocop!

Cyborg: I'm not Robocop.

Beast Boy: You're Robocop!

Cyborg: Yeah, I'm totally Robocop!

Batman smiles, realises it and then returns to a blank expression.

Raven, Donna Troy and Starfire stand in a corner together.

Starfire: So, girls, how's it been?

Raven: Relatively the same for the past nine years.

A door smashes as a result of Raven's power.

Starfire: Okay... So, Donna, are you still with Kyle?

Donna: No, we ended it. Still see him around the watchtower though. What's up with you?

Starfire: Well, I WAS a part of the Tamaranian defence program but now there isn't a Tamaran so I've been doing some freelance monster hunting.

Donna: Sounds... eventful.

Starfire: Yeah!

Titans Tower, the nucleus, somewhere...

Terra Markov walks into a surveillance room, a masked man sits behind a large amount of screens. The screens monitor every world within the pocket dimension, one computer screen for each world.

Terra: They ain't going anywhere.

Masked man: Good, now the world...

The masked man stands up and turns around to reveal...

DEATHSTROKE THE TERMINATOR.

Deathstroke: ...will STAY RID of the Titans.

Deathstroke turns to a computer and clicks a few buttons, the screen becomes static.

Deathstroke: We've lost contact with them.

Terra: Hmph, well... d'ya think the universe has changed without 'em?

Deathstroke: Everything changes without the Titans.

* * *

**How did Deathstroke get to the pocket universe? How did Terra come back from the dead? All will be answered soon enough in THE NEW TITANS!**


	3. The Times they are a Changin': Part Three

**Present Day, HIVE Base, Senior Room**

A loud boom is heard and the HIVE senior members drop onto the floor, only one remains sitting. She is a young, late-20s woman named Lilah McDonald. Lilah pulls out her watch and presses a button. A crystal-white door appears. Lilah walks towards the door and steps inside.

HIVE Base, Senior Room

Five cloaked, hooded men stand in the middle of a darkly lit room, praying to a raging yellow fire. Next to the fire is a baby, wearing a type of religious robes. One of the men kneels and holds a dagger, praying to the baby instead. All of a sudden, the white door appears in the room and Lilah walks out of it. Lilah bows and the men bow back.

Lilah: Call the Queen.

A booming noise is heard and then a wall explodes, on the other side, The Titans. Donna instantly notices the baby, she cringes and launches herself towards the hooded man with a dagger, grabbing him by the throat. Donna pulls the dagger from the man's hand and holds it to the hooded man, screaming.

Donna: I'll do it. I'll f*cking do it!

Donna looks to the baby and is tamed. She drops the dagger, and grabs the baby, crying.

Batman: Lilah.

Lilah: Batman.

Batman: What do you know about...?

Lilah: As much as you do.

Batman scowls.

Batman: You have the HIVE Queen, you have the Oracle room and you have the millions of sources at your hand and you don't know anything!?

Batman pushes Lilah against the wall, angry. Lilah, despite her situation, remains calm.

Lilah: If we knew something, we'd do something about it. Y'know... we're not just death worshipping pieces of sh*t, this is our world too.

Batman lets go, Lilah falls to the floor.

Starfire: Are you just going to leave it at...!?

Batman: She's telling the truth, Starfire.

Beast Boy: So, what do we do now?

Batman: Leave.

Batman walks up to Donna, still shaken and holding the baby. The rest of the Titans leave the room.

Donna: I'm sorry... I just couldn't...

Batman: I know.

Donna: I don't know what to do, Dick.

Batman: Tell them.

Donna: I'm not ready.

Batman: It's only going to get worse. No matter how much we've changed, whatever happened to us, you can trust us.

Donna: I know. It's just that... with what's going on right now... I can't just TELL them.

Batman: Donna, this is the kind of behaviour that ends worlds... and you KNOW I'm not exaggerating. No secrets, no lies. Not after what we saw.

* * *

 

**Present Day, Titans Tower, Donna's Room**

Donna Troy sits on her own in her old room. She looks to her side, a crib, empty and a teddy bear sits in it. Donna breaks down and cries, putting her head in her hands. Donna pulls out a phone and puts it to her ear.

Donna: Kyle?

Kyle Rayner: Yeah? Donna?

Donna: I... I just wanted to say that... I wanted to ask... we're still friends, right?

Kyle Rayner: Yes... Donna, are you alright?

Donna: Yeah. I just need a friend right now.

Kyle Rayner: Okay. Do you want me to...?

Donna hangs up, putting the phone down.

Present Day, Outside Titans Tower

The Titans sit and stand outside, excluding Donna. They all stay silent in an awkward manner. Cyborg stands with his arms folded, surveying his guns. Raven floats at the end of the cliff, just thinking.

Batman stands with his cape draped over him, standing in the shadows. And finally, Beast Boy, constantly trying to start conversation. Donna walks out of Titans Tower, standing tall, unafraid.

Donna: I need to tell you something. Something important.

Eight Years Earlier

Donna and Terry Long drive in a car, with their son, Robert in the back seat, he's about a year old. They drive through a highway, cars speeding past them. Terry drives.

Donna: Thanks.

Terry: For what?

Donna: Letting me see him.

Terry: Donna, you're his mother. No matter what happened between us, he's still your son.

Donna: I'm just thankful you let me stay in his life. Really,  
Terry. I appreciate this.

Terry: Just being a father, Donna. Just being a father.

Donna smiles, Terry doesn't smile back.

Terry: What the...?

Donna freezes as the car feels an impact and then the front of the car caves in. Terry screams until he is knocked unconscious after hitting his head against the wheel, the airbag trying to pop out but instantly deflating.

Donna notices a fire starting on the car's exterior, but is powerless and still is unable to move. All of sudden a river of golden fire floods the car, Donna remaining untouched screams.

Donna: ROBERT!

Donna then tries to move, she still can't, Terry still leans over, being crushed by the impact. She then tries to turn around, she tries to see her son but her body won't let her neck move. A shower of glass leaps toward her as the car bends in her shape, nothing but her clothes being ruined.  
Another impact towards the end of the car.

Then, in an elastic-like movement Donna is thrust out of the car by the impact, finally being able to move and then looking back as the car that holds her ex-husband and son bursts into flames.

The semi truck that caused the collision now sets alight and the driver speeds out, disappearing. The semi explodes, further setting the car on fire. Donna hits the floor a few yards away from the accident, her skin finally gives as she starts to bleed.

Before she gets the chance to turn around, she hears a damning second explosion and she drops, unconscious.

Present Day, Outside Titans Tower

Donna and the Titans stand with each other.

Donna: I searched for years, thinking that someone put a hit on me, meant to kill me. I... I couldn't handle that it was just a... a car crash. Something that happens to people every day. I hunted down the driver and beat him, trying to get answers that I wanted to get.

I wanted it to be something I could fight, something I could rise up from but it just wasn't. I killed a lot of people for nothing, sure they were terrorists, madmen and demons but I'll always regret it.

Starfire walks up to Donna and hugs her.

Starfire: I'm sorry, I had no idea...

Donna: It's okay. It's not your fault.

Starfire: You should've... should've called us when it happened, we could've helped you.

Donna: I know, that's why I'm telling you now, I'm telling you because I know you can help me. I know we can help each other. No secrets, no lies. We can't afford to hide from each other now. No, not now. Not after what we saw.

Ten Years Earlier, Somewhere, a Hut...

Beast Boy lies on the floor looking at the ceiling, the rest of the Titans lie on the floor with him.

Beast Boy: Who wants to bet that ceiling was made of cow stuff?

The Titans stay silent.

Beast Boy: No? Fine.

Wonder Girl: I miss Terry.

The rest of the Titans look to her.

Wonder Girl: I'm supposed to be getting married to him and I'm stuck in this pocket dimension.

Starfire: You will find him, Donna, I can promise you that.

Wonder Girl: We could've been here for years and we wouldn't even know. He could be an old man...

Nightwing: Donna, that's not going to happen, I WON'T let it happen. These things just come with time.

Raven: The possibilities of the pocket dimension are that the victims, if used in that way, didn't exist to the outside world. You probably never met Terry Long.

Nightwing: Thanks for your much needed optimism.

Beast Boy: Y'know what I miss? New York City.

Cyborg: Why is that?

Beast Boy: That long cliff that stares at the city, your hair blowing in the wind, the breeze you feel. I like riding up there, WITH MY FRIENDS.

Cyborg: What friends? You don't have any friends other than us.

Beast Boy: Yes I do, I just haven't told you about them.

Cyborg: Who?

Beast Boy: Jerry, George, Kramer and...

Nightwing: We've seen Seinfeld, Gar.

Terra suddenly appears and uses her powers to shake the  
foundations of the desert-like patch they're on.

Beast Boy: Terra?

Cyborg: I think we should get out of the hut!

Nightwing: Titans, Go!

The Titans run to the outside of the Hut, it collapses and the Earthquake stops.

Starfire: Must you say that for everything?

Beast Boy: Gee, maybe we should go to the New York we were in a few whatevers ago.

Cyborg: What's your obsession with New York?

Their conversation is short-lived as a metal man the size of an army of mammoths ravages the desert, creating a wave of sand, trudging through it.  
The bronze metal shines in the blisteringly hot sun, creating a blinding fiery light that burns the eyes. Every step it makes creates a shockwave until it stops, noticing the Titans and letting out an ear-piercing howl.

Beast Boy: I'm guessing that's not good.

The metal man stamps, creating a sand-wave that consumes the Titans, burying them under a thin layer. The Titans struggle to get out of the sand, the metal man stamping again, launching them into the air. Mid-air, Starfire and Raven lift Cyborg, Nightwing and Wonder Girl while Beast Boy turns into a pterodactyl.

The sand creates a cloud of golden mist, disorienting the Titans, while the metal man sweeps at them, his hand colliding with Starfire who drops Nightwing as a result. Beast Boy, as a pterodactyl, quickly creates a base for Nightwing to land on, carrying him away from the sand cloud. Nightwing stands up, ties some rope around the young pterodactyl and uses him as a vehicle.

Starfire, still holding Wonder Girl gets behind the metal man, giving Wonder Girl a chance to drop onto it. Nightwing swerves Beast Boy toward the face of the metal man, distracting him while Wonder Girl crawls up the back of it and up to the neck. Raven drops Cyborg, leaving him to drop kick the metal man, pushing him back a bit.

Starfire fires towards its eyes, confusing it for a second. Wonder Girl then reaches the neck and draws her sword, stabbing the middle. A second of confusion. The metal man stops, staggers and plummets to the ground, the Titans clear the area, however Donna still is on its back, clutching to its wound. Impact is made as the metal man hits the sand, creating a shockwave that blows the Titans to the ground.

Cyborg: So... New York.

Titans Tower, the Nucleus, somewhere

Deathstroke sharpens his katana blade against a large rock, while Terra walks into the room.

Deathstroke: What did you tell him?

Terra: I left a mental note.

Deathstroke: You gave away where the nucleus was, now it's only a matter of time before they gets here.

Terra: I only said it so he thought he could trust me. Damn, what do I do now?

Deathstroke: Nothing. Sit back, watch the surveillance. I'll handle it.

* * *

 

**New York City, Somewhere...**

Beast Boy and The Titans stand at the edge of the patchwork piece of New York. The cold breeze brushes past and the busy rush of New York is done by ghosts, as cars appear to drive themselves. The bright sun stands out amongst the various other suns above their respective world, showing a piece of nostalgia to the titans. Further down, The Titans notice a T-shape.

Cyborg: Titans Towe...

Cyborg is knocked down by an EMP blast, then a frenzy in all of Nightwing gadget pouches. The fall Cyborg's large half-man half-machine body reveals Deathstroke.

Nightwing: Slade.

Deathstroke: It's a school night.

Deathstroke swiftly kicks back Starfire, knocking her into Wonder Girl while drawing his sword. Nightwing jumps at him with a drop kick, to which Deathstroke catches Nightwing's feet and throws him aside. Raven levitates some large rocks but Deathstroke uppercuts her before she has the chance.

Beast Boy, transforming into a lion, pounces at Deathstroke but Deathstroke hits him with an electric escrima stick. Cyborg gets up and reveals a sonic cannon and blasts, which knocks Deathstroke over, but he is quickly on his feet to blast Cyborg with his EMP gun again, rendering him unconscious.

Wonder Girl draws her sword, to which Deathstroke draws his. Wonder Girl is the first to strike but Deathstroke quickly and cleanly blocks it, kicking Wonder Girl back, and then striking her, cutting a deep wound in her arm.

Wonder Girl goes to strike again but Deathstroke leaps behind her, kicking her back, sending her to the floor. Nightwing is back, disarming Deathstroke with a wingding, he then manages to land a hit but Deathstroke hits back harder, making Dick lose a tooth.  
Raven launches a large rock at Deathstroke, swiftly, he kicks it back, rendering her unconscious.

Starfire fires a few blasts but Deathstroke quickly picks up his sword, deflecting them and firing them right back it her. Starfire manages to block a couple but it thrust back by two more.  
Nightwing tries to get back up, but Deathstroke strikes him with his electric-powered escrima stick and Nightwing is down.

Titans Tower, the Nucleus

As Nightwing wakes up he clutches his head, rolling over in pain. The rest of the Titans sit in a corner, attending to their wounds. They all are in a cage in Deathstroke's darkly lit surveillance room. Terra sits across from them, spinning on a desk chair.

Terra: So, how are you old friends?

Starfire: Terra!?

Cyborg: Help us out of here! Please!

Terra: No can do, tin man. We thought we could let you run free like chickens but you got too close.

Beast Boy: You! You tricked me!

Terra: On the contrary, I tried to get you as far away from here as possible but you wouldn't listen, would you? We offered you kids the best heaven possible... BUT you wanted out.

Nightwing: What the hell are you talking about?

Terra: Look around you, that place you're livin' on is a patchwork monster of all of your memories with each other.  
Nothing's perfect, I see.

Cyborg: Why are we in here? Why are you in here?

Terra: Sugar, you're in here because the user demands it. We can't tell you any more than that.

Cyborg: Because the user demands it? Who's the user?

Terra: Can't tell you that, darlin'. The user has activated protocol 241.

Beast Boy: Protocol 241? What the hell is that?

Terra: Can't tell you that either, sugar.

Nightwing: How the hell are you still alive!? You died, crushed to death, you killed yourself.

Terra: ...and yet I'm here, in the flesh.

Beast Boy: Who brought you back!?

Terra: You did, Gar, you ALL did. After all, you made me immortal.

**Who brought Terra back and who is the grand master behind this all? Why is Deathstroke protecting the nucleus and how will the Titans get out? Keep reading The New Titans to find out!**


End file.
